Automatic fire door for parts washers



April 1948- E. J. ST. LAURENCE 2,440,619

AUTOMATIC FIRE DOOR FOR PARTS WASHERS 7 Filed June 9, 1944 frivenior common;

the; GBVlC8='l andisonrethnes= even: tof-"the 'parts;

Patented Apr. 27, 1948 2,440,619; -AUTO1\FATIUEIRE DODKtFOIF B-ARTS 'WASHERS 5 Glaims. 1

My. invention is -i-niithernatune oi;arriimprove ment: in power-actuated? washing'zmachtnese of the type disclosed and broadlyt claimedtirrz the co epending application of Victom Albertson,

partsu washerf is": especiahyr -designedia and particularly; adapted. for: thevwashingtz of; greasy 'airpiane'svand'rantomobile-aparts 'iand the like and,

generally stated; the-1' invention consistssriofi'i'thew novel device, combinations of devi cexandtfyar rangemen-t'crf parts hereinafter described andiiefinediin-ithe-rciaimsa.

Imparts washer-tarot theeahoveitype; whereh'itime? and E jeopardy to ether: inflammablei struc tUZEShELHdL'ObjECtSJZ Bideflt 'stated" my? invention provides means wiiereby ca hingedl'coveri' which normally"-' serves only as upward extension ofi' the -rear": wall of "thefwashfer cabinet wi-l fiywh err subiected tc v the heat :emanating: from the firevin the *wash'ert drop overithe' open top-to "the washer; thereby-smothering the fire: I

commercial form of the improved device is illustrated in' the accompanying drawings wl'ierein like characters indicate like--parts-' =through out 1 the -several 'vi'ews;

Referring ,to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspectivelooking down- I ward' from; :thewasher; some parts: being; broken away;

Fig. 2 is.. a.vertical. sectionalaviewi taken on the line Z TQf'Fig. 1'; and

Fig"? 3 is a sectional view taken on the-dine 3 -3toif Fig": 2.-

Referring with more particularity man-anew tags, the tank orreservoir con-taining gasoline or=other infiammablecleaning fliiid is zat reet'angm-v Taropemtop structure I, preferably formed-mi sheetdnetal having'a slightly inward turned rim.

At a point somewhat more midway above the bottom ofthetank is -a=work tabi ow-deck 2 which is supported by brackets 3 which in turn are secured to the sides of the tank I by nut-equipped bolts G. This table 2 is of slightly less area than the horizontal cross section of the tank I and is spaced from the sides of the tank by means of spacing lugs 5 which extend 2. between the inside" walls" of the tank I and birackets wamdithrcugh which the nnt-equipped b'silts'sfl iextende Asr ishown ini-.Fign 41; positioned under-firework taiiieczeis anz electric rnotor 'fi wlii'ch by means at: aa sha missconnected to k azpumpi sidraws: from a-xlower section"ct the tank azvertie'aily ad justabie intake'dvice whic; erahlm invoives aa-head s the bottom of wl ifoh Issicpem ens-screened and thee body-20f -wh'icli 1 is connectedito aemetal pipe I'il'i After 'Ieaving the pmnp -tife fiuid ife'irced upwanrztin-oughr {.fiexiblpipe i 1 connects ttxi a rneta'lfi irculatihg pipe 2, the deli-tery "end o as shbwne extend h-rough anotch innt deck fiandis prodded a mannaily operatedevalvwwfi This' vaiye I 3 1s ccnnected to theereeeiving 'errd' of 'a -fiexible di'scharge pipe fli. This pipe liw is preferahly 'ofii tfie 'type known asfie'mbl irretal hose or' tixbi ng -madup' of 'frictionally interlocked spiral sections? M Hinged t o the upperrrear edg eoftiieetank I is ancover I5 for the open-top ot"thereservoir. Coven I 5 ie made up of two spaced plates-' or atitheirrrouter edges dayielding thefi formerover berss maybe secured togetherin I any desirabie mannerr' snch ass by -weldings Spaced inwardly new the ede of said- "cover l-5 fifl w-hafi would bee theenormally lowen surface- 0t plate I l is am angle' irom I8- wh icl i exter rds completely around the rim of the cover- 15 and the purpose of fwinchais to greatly rein-fdrce the warmer and -tkieepzth'eesame fiatso-th at cover lfi wilt malie a relatively? aii'x tig closure of open" top of the tame under: the aetiom ofif gravity. Beth covemipiatesrwlGland fl are zprevid'd with-Bicentrally located concentric apertures-" l' il -and ill merespeetivelygz :An upstandfn posttors'snpport "El? shb'wn- -as being preferably channel shaped and cross-*section, is welded or otherwise securedl'te thewutside -ofi' the rear wall of I th'etank 1 and prohazard from fires is greatly reduced at a shown, is connected to the wider supporting plate 23, but spaced therefrom, by means of a nut-equipped bolt 25. A second link 26 is secured to link 24 by overlapping and fusing together the inside ends thereof. A metal, such as tin or the like, which becomes fusible at relatively low temperatures of heat, approximately 160 F. is used to secure links 24 and 26 together. The outer end of link 26 extends through the opening l9 in cover plate 16 and has an aperture 27 through which the hook 22 extends.

The so-called links 24 and 26 jointly provide a composite fusible link and may hereinafter sometimes be jointly referred to as a fusible link.

Supporting post 2| also carries a spring 26, shown as being in the form of a leaf spring, which .secured thereto by means of a metal having a relatively low melting point and having its outer end secured to said upstanding post.

is compressed between the cover l5 and the post 2| when the cover is in vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2.

Operation In the event a fire starts in the gasoline containing reservoir or tank I, due to a spark caused by the striking together of two pieces of metal, or from other causes, the flames coming out of the large opening in the top of the tank will make it diflicult for anyone to get near the machine. However, the flames and the heat, in rising upwardly, will strike upon the exposed anchor member made up of links 24 and 26. Furthermore, because of the width of supporting plate 23, see

down onto the fused links 24 and 26. Also, because of the spacing between the wide member 23 and the narrower members 24 and 26 the heat deflected and temporarily retarded by the supporting plate 23 will reach all of the exposed surfaces of the fused end portions. In other words, supporting plate 23 acts much like a deflecting plate aside from its normal function of supporting plate.

As has been stated supra the ends of anchor link 24 and 26 are fused together by a metal of low fusibility such as tin or the like, which will fuse at temperatures approximately 160. When the low temperature fusing metal between links 24 and 26 reaches this temperature, the bond between them is broken and the cover I5 is given an original impetus to a closed position and away from its vertical, dead center position by virtue of the leaf spring 28 which has been compressed between the outer surface of plate l6 and vertical supporting post 2|.

The action of gravity will, of course, result in of the tank I. In the event that flexible hose l4 should be projecting upwardly, the same will,

by virtue of inherent flexibility, be forced into the inside of tank I.

In this novel manner I have found thatthe great saving of time, labor and material.

What I claim is:

r 1. In the structure of the kind described, a

liquid containing, open top reservoir having a rear wall, a normally upstanding cover for said opening, hinged to the rear wall of said reservoir, said cover comprising spaced upper and lower 'baflies, aligned openings in said upper and lower Fig. 3,'much of the heat will be deflected back.

' the final closure of the cover l5 on'the open top 2. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with spring means used between the supporting post and cover for imparting initial impetus to said cover when the seal between the said anchor links is broken.

' 3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the supporting plate overlies the said anchor links and is spaced therefrom and provides a 'heat retarding and deflecting shield for said anchoring links. 7

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said anchor links are much narrower than said supporting plate, the opening in the upper baiile being only sufficiently large to accommodate its cooperating relatively narrow anchoring link and the aligned opening in the lower bafiie being sufficiently large to accommodate the wider supporting plate.

5. In a parts washer, an open top reservoir having a rear wall and adapted to contain a volatile cleaning liquid, a normally upstanding apertured cover hinged to the reservoir adjacent the upper rear edge thereof, an upstanding supporting post secured to the rear wall of the reservoir and projecting above the top of said reservoir, a supporting plate secured to the cover adjacent said aperture and projecting inwardly therefrom, and a fusible link extending through the cover aperture and having one end anchored to said supporting post and its other end portion anchored to the inwardly projecting end portion of said supporting plate, said supporting plate being located above and extending in close substantially parallel relation to the fusible link and being of materially greater width than said fusible link, whereby in case of fire in said reservoir said relatively wide supporting plate will serve to deflect rising heat waves downwardly against said fusible link to increase the heating rate of the fusible link.

ERNEST J. ST. LAURENCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the Number Name Date 1,378,964 Lang May 24, 1921 1,388,942 Fuller Aug. 30, 1921 r 1,606,935 Haas 1 ,Nov. 16,1926

. 1,683,571 Mueller Sept. 4, 1928 1,713,691 Curtiss May 21, 1929 2,155,464 Anschicks Apr. 25, 1939 2,267,069 Anschicks Dec.23, 1941 2,313,350 'Lebus Mar. 9, 1943 

